Mixed feelings

When Mary Anne Butters sat on the floor reading to kindergartners in 2011, she noticed their shoes were in terrible shape — no laces or too small.

A little research told her that Wayne County’s rate of children living in poverty ranked among Indiana’s worst. And the county ranked with Fayette County among Indiana’s worst counties for unemployment.

“I decided I can’t retire yet. I’m not done,” said Butters, who had retired from her full-time work and was living on the Greens Fork-area farm where she grew up. 

Butters won the District 2 seat on the Board of Commissioners in 2012 and has served three terms before deciding not to run this year. Aaron Roberts will take the District 2 seat Jan. 1.

“Mary Anne was a very, very dedicated county commissioner and certainly a person who was dedicated to the people in this community,” said Ken Paust, who served with Butters for 10 of her 12 years. “She was always willing to tell you what she thought, and that’s what you want in government. She was a hard worker and really studied the issues. She will be missed.”

Commissioner Brad Dwenger has served the past two years with Butters. He said he’s learned from her and thanks her for her years of service to the citizens of Wayne County.

Jeff Plasterer, president of commissioners and a former county council member, said he also has learned from his work with Butters.

“I worked with Commissioner Butters for eight years in my role as a member of county council and for the last four years as a fellow commissioner,” Plasterer said in an email. “Mary Anne takes the time to educate herself on the issues. While we don’t always agree on the best course of action, I admire her work ethic and have learned from our shared experience. I appreciate her years of commitment to public service.”

Butters recently turned 80 and will pass the baton to Roberts.

“Aaron Roberts will do a fine job,” she said. “His compassion and genuine caring for the people of Wayne County will make life better during his time of service.”

Through her efforts with big issues facing Wayne County, Butters feels mixed emotions as she leaves.

“I have as many disappointments as I am pleased with gains,” Butters said. “Wayne County still has extraordinarily low wages; our Economic Development Corporation cannot have great impact on existing wages. 

“Our childhood poverty rates are still way too high. Those kindergarten shoes are still not new. 

“Our substance abuse rates are still too high. People are still dying from overdoses. 

“Our vaccination rates need to improve. We have way too many homeless.

“But I did what I could.”

Successes

Upon taking office, Butters immediately attacked unemployment, forming a task force and hosting 10 job fairs.

“I do know a lot of people got jobs who wouldn’t have had jobs without those job fairs,” Butters said. 

In 2012, the EDC offered incentives to companies paying $8 an hour, but with Butters` support, now a company must pay $20 an hour to receive incentives.

Butters also has saved the county more than $500,000 in electric bills. She called Richmond Power & Light and said the county’s bill was too high, and the utility recalculated the way it measured county usage.

Recently, the county has received American Rescue Plan Act and opioid settlement dollars that make an impact. Butters said there are solid projects using ARPA money, but she “would have liked to have seen more community projects funded, especially more family recreational and tourist-appealing projects, such as a county park and a new animal shelter and support for the homeless.”

Butters helped Wayne County resist joining a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. That now enables the county to spend 100% of its settlement shares to help people, rather than paying lawyers, as some municipalities do. 

“People who can get clean and healthy stay alive,” Butters said.

Two wins for Butters involved defeating issues. Wayne County did not allow wind turbines in the county, and in 2020, the proposed doubling of the cumulative capital tax was defeated. Butters used social media to rally citizens, reversing the other two commissioners’ opinions.

“That’s something I’m proud of,” Butters said. “How could elected officials raise unnecessarily one tax while they would not even discuss an important tax that would greatly improve the quality of life in our communities.”

Disappointments

The “important tax” to which Butters refers is the food and beverage tax. Butters advocates for that proposal, saying the county loses $2 million a year in funds it would be permitted to collect on purchases mostly made by people passing through the area — funds that Butters says could improve quality of life. 

“I think people in Wayne County can be proud that it remains a well-managed county,” Butters said. “We have not succumbed to unwise spending. We’ve kept taxes in check, but we could loosen the belt to make our quality of life even better.”

Butters also was not able to make the inroads she wished for helping Wayne County’s animals. She advocated the county allocate $500,000 of ARPA money for a new shelter. That idea never gained traction, but the county is spending some money to spay and neuter rescued animals and stray cats and for low-cost vaccinations.

“At least there is movement and a little bit of improvement in that the county will be paying to spay and neuter rescued animals,” Butters said. “The people spoke loudly when they said we need to improve how we care for stray dogs and cats, and the county turned its back on the voice of the people. So, yes, that is a great disappointment.”

‘I was hooked’

Butters said disappointment never gets easier, but she was prepared for male-dominated environments and disappointments in public service. After all, she was previously involved in racing.

As an Indianapolis Star reporter, Butters covered the Indianapolis 500, but she was not permitted into the pits or garage area. Finally, in 1972, she could enter those areas, but only while carrying a letter from her managing editor saying she was a bona fide reporter.

“It did prepare me for some disappointments as a woman in politics,” Butters said.

Her father, John Gilmer, who was a township trustee and county councilor himself, was a test driver for Perfect Circle, stringing together laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to test piston rings. Her husband, Tom, went to driver’s school and wrecked a borrowed race car. That meant the Butterses had themselves a damaged race car.

When it was fixed, Tom suggested Mary Anne take a couple laps. That’s all it took.

“I was hooked,” Butters said.

Eventually, one of her Star story subjects, actress Joan Crawford, who led Pepsi-Cola Company’s board of directors after the death of her husband, wrote a complimentary letter asking if she could do anything for Butters. The response was: How would Pepsi like to sponsor a husband-and-wife Sports Car Club of America racing team. Checks were written, and Team Butters soon added Ramada Inn, Goodyear and Valvoline sponsorships, as it campaigned across the Midwest.

Coca-Cola asked Butters to drive in the 1971 Indianapolis 500, but loyal to Pepsi and lacking open-wheel and oval driving experience, Butters declined. “I also felt that the very first woman to run in the 500 should have more experience than I did,” Butters said. “I wanted the first woman to be really, really qualified.” 

The Pepsi sponsorship lasted four years before the company took its sponsorship money to tennis.

“It was so much fun,” Butters said. “We had such a jolly good time.” 

PR for Army

As an Indianapolis Star reporter, Butters pointed out problems the city faced. Mayor Richard Lugar put an end to that.

“He called me one day and asked if I was going to hide behind my typewriter and tell everybody what was wrong with Indianapolis or come over and help him fix it,” Butters said. “How can I say no to that?”

Butters spent a year with Lugar while she also was involved with an advisory council for an all-volunteer Army. 

“I figured that if the government got rid of the draft and all of the soldiers were volunteers we would be less likely to enter armed conflict so casually,” Butters said. “Congress would look at an all-volunteer force with greater care than a draft, conscription force.”

After President Richard Nixon stopped the draft, Butters worked for a New York City advertising agency doing public relations work to entice enlistees. There has not been a draft since.

“Of all the work I’ve ever done my entire life, the work I did to ensure the success of an all-volunteer military force is the greatest,” Butters said. 

Lucky landing

When Butters looks back, she envisions a race in northeastern Ohio. A rod through the engine block caused quarts of oil to drop on her rear tires. That sent Butters into a spin.

On one side of the track was a steep ravine, and on the other, a grassy field. As she spun, Butters wondered which way she would go. Luckily, it was the grassy field.

“I’ve had some good times and some disappointments,” Butters said, “but generally my life has landed me in the grassy field, never the ravine.”